Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 1m
Distance
45.4 mi
73 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kansas City, KS
Wikimedia Commons
Baldwin City, KS
Tom Fisk
Kansas City, KS to Baldwin City, KS is 45.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 1 minute via I 35 and US 56, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward drive entirely within the Great Plains region of Kansas. Given its proximity and brief duration, it's ideal for a same-day trip or an easy addition to a longer itinerary. You'll mostly be on highways, making for efficient travel between these two points in the Sunflower State.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 35 | 29.1 mi | 33m |
| US 56 | 9.1 mi | 11m |
| North 7th Street Trafficway | 3.1 mi | 6m |
| West 199th Street | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| East High Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Homestead Lane | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Armstrong Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| High Street | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 12 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~3,512 veh/hr typical · worst 4,182
Quietest
2 AM
~186 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
18.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Kansas City, KS and Baldwin City, KS.
Start on this road
Turn right onto Armstrong Avenue
Turn right onto US 69
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 35
Continue on I 35; US 56; US 169
Continue on I 35; US 50; US 56; US 169
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto Homestead Lane
Turn left onto West 199th Street
Turn left onto US 56
Turn left onto CR 14
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 22.7 miles from Kansas City, KS, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 32.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Armstrong Avenue
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto US 69 / North 7th Street Trafficway
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 35
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Continue onto I 35; US 56; US 169 toward I 35 South, US 56 West, US 169 South: Wichita
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Regular Gas
$7.04 one way
$14.08 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.32 | $7.72 | $15.44 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.81 | $17.62 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $10.01 | $20.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.77 | $2.18 |
| Efficient EV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.97 | $1.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.36 | $2.91 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Kansas City on Wednesday
Local time
1:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
89°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in Baldwin City on Wednesday
Local time
1:55 PM
CDT
Current temp
91°F
Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This route is predominantly highway, with 84% of it on major roads like I 35 and US 56. You'll experience a longest stretch of 29.1 miles on I 35 before transitioning to surface roads as you approach Baldwin City. Expect a relatively smooth ride with fewer exits on the highway portions, shifting to more local traffic patterns closer to your destination.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 35 and US 56. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Armstrong Avenue.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 45.4 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Armstrong Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 69 / North 7th Street Trafficway): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles (I 35): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
389 ft
Total Descent
217 ft
Highest Point
1,085 ft
~38.9 mi in
Elevation Range
280 ft
Founded 1868
Kansas City is a city in the state of Kansas, in the United States of America, and a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. Kansas City, Kansas, is often referred to as KCK, and Kansas City, Missouri, as KCMO. The two Kansas Cities form the core of the wider Kansas City metropolitan area.
Baldwin City is a city in Eastern Kansas in southern Douglas County where the soil is rich and wildlife is plentiful. Baldwin City is the home of the oldest college west of the Mississippi, and of wildflowers in profusion, some patches of the old prairie grasses, and some fine outdoor recreational resources reserved for public use.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 1m. Total distance: 45.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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